The pair edged out a third candidate, Ron Hariri, a lawyer and outspoken critic of both Sean Walter and former supervisor Phil Cardinale, during Tuesday night’s Democratic convention at The Pizza Pie in Wading River.

Mr. Hariri and Mr. Williams were the screening committee’s choices for council, although Mr. Van Glad had screened for supervisor.
Committee members, who cast votes on behalf of electoral districts in town, ultimately determine who the committee will support. Mr. Williams received 4,341.5 weighted electoral votes, Mr. Van Glad received 3,419.5 votes and Mr. Hariri trailed the pack with just 912.5 votes.

So, who are Mr. Van Glad and Mr. Williams?

Matt Van Glad
Matt Van Glad, 39, has performed in North Fork Community Theatre productions, sings with the Riverhead Building Supply gospel singers and considers himself an all-around artist.

An upstate transplant, he said he thinks his personality would be a good fit for the Town Board.

“I have studied Riverhead politics for the last 10 years,” he told the News-Review. “I feel I can make a positive impact on this town by listening.”

Politics runs in the family for Mr. Van Glad, who also works as a fuel deliveryman. His brother Anthony is supervisor of Gilboa Town in upstate New York.

“I have lived in Riverhead since 1998 and have been active in politics my whole life,” Mr. Van Glad wrote in a letter to the media Tuesday night.

He lives in Riverhead with his wife, Venus.

Though Mr. Van Glad was nominated from the floor ­— first for supervisor, which he declined, and then for council — and was not the screening committee’s choice for town council candidate, he had brought along several wooden signs and T-shirts bearing his name, which he distributed to committee members after the convention.

“He did that before he was even screening,” said Democratic Chairman Vinny Villella said. “I think he was jumping the gun.”

Marlando Williams

This is not the first run for public office for Marlando Williams, 49, a retired New York State Police officer, so he’s not as big an unknown as Mr. Van Glad. In 2009, backed by the teachers union, Mr. Williams made an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the Riverhead Board of Education.

Marlando Williams

Mr. Williams has lived in Baiting Hollow with his wife, Sandra, since 2007. He has an adult daughter and a son who is a freshman at Bishop McGann-Mercy High School in Riverhead.

Other than the Democratic Committee, he said he is not affiliated with any other organizations in town.

For Mr. Williams, the most pressing issue town residents face is rising taxes.

“There’s a lack of leadership and integrity in government,” he said. “I think we can do better.”

He cited his experience in law enforcement as one of the things that qualifies him to run for office.

“I think I bring integrity to the position,” he said. “I have a sense of what is right and wrong.”

129 Comment

what the hell’s wrong with the dems ! are the committee that ignorance of our society that they have nobody to run with but fuel delivery man /singer/rbs gospel singer / dancer plus he’s all around artist! what the hell that have to with any of the politics ! now what’s the differences between a cop & a trooper< NOTHING YOU JACKASS ! THIS TOWN IS GETTING DUMB & DUMBER BY THE YEAR

my advice to sean; you have nothing to be arrogant about both personally & professionally ( what the f**k have you ever accomplished in pathetic career ! ALSO PHIL you might be lil’ smarter than sean but seriously in your 2 terms as council & 3 terms as supervisor < you did nothing but slow down any progress and the only reason you are running again is because your low fruits between legs got bruised so hard bet couldn't walk straight for few weeks huh ? phil's for phil's ego ! WAKE UP PEOPLE O

From reading the above bios on VanGlad and Williams I would have to say that they aren’t the ones to lead Riverhead to a brighter future. As for Cardinale and Wilhelm: Cardinale track record is poor. He’s responsible for sooooo much mess. Riverhead’s status compared to neighboring towns, for example: Southold and Greenport status is rising. Riverhead’s status is soooooo pooooor that we need a MIRACLE!!! Also, Phil Cardinale all Democratic town board is responsible for voting in Diane Wilhelm. She’s no “peaches and cream” and a political person who “steals” $73,936 per year from the tax payers of Riverhead. And, OH YES, another of Phil’s “political friends” that he helped push through the system with the assistance of the late assessor Sendlewski and Grattan. If anyone’s feelings are hurt by my comment keep in mind we live in a democratic society with the FREEDOM OF FREE SPEECH!!! So be it.

It’s the same old tune being played over … and over … and over … Riverhead’s political arena is nothing to get excited about. The Democrates and the Republican teams are ALL a-bunch of CROOKS and ROBBERS. Their salaries are sky high. And our taxes are sky high. I am a native of Riverhead. And for the past twenty-five years Riverhead has had a s-l-o-w progression of becoming the w-o-r-s-e town on the east end. And now Riverhead is noted, by other towns and visitors, as a place of JUNKINESS. Main Street is completely empty. The only thing that THRIVES are WEEDS. At all hours of the day all you hear is L-O-U-D music coming from the cars and street walkers and hot deals. Our political officials who technically are PUBLIC SERVANTS are a waste of the taxpayers money!!! In addition, every figure in office is there because of FRIENDSHIP and PLAYING POLITICS and GIVING INTO SYMPATHY.

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